Apparatus for feeding materials into containers



April 6 1954 l.. J. FARLEY 2,674,399

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING MATERIALS INTO CONTAINERS Filed March 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l lll IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllll-I-llllllllmmbllllll 7 Attorneys April 6, 1954 J. FARLEY 2,674,399

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING MATERIALS INTO CONTAINERS Filed March 13, 1950 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 0a/S 1./ FqeLfK AfforneyS Patented Apr. 6, 1954 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR FEEDING MATERIALS INTO CONTAINERS Louis J: Farley, Wapato; Wash'.

ApplicationMarchflS, 1950, Serial No. 1495370 Claims. (Cl. 226-96) The present invention relates to apparatus for feeding materials intocontainers. andmore particularly to apparatus for lling basketsor sacks with fruits or vegetables.

An-object of the invention is rto provide a tray for receiving fruit and vegetablesifrom alconveyor system and to discharge the fruitand vegetables through openings in the tray selectively into a waiting receptacle which. is'v held in proximate relation to -said openings.

Another object of this invention is to provide afruitreceiving-tray and areceptacle trayl therebelow, both* of which mayberotated manually, as shown in the drawings, or if desired, by appropriate power-means.

A further object of `this inventionisto provide an apparatus for packagingffruitsiand vegetables which is extremelyI simplezin construction and operation andmay be-easily-moved from one location to another. Also becausev of such simple construction thecost is helddown accordingly.

Still other objects and-.advantages will become apparent from the following description. ofthe present invention illustrated :in the raccompanying drawing, in-whichz Figure 1 is a planviewofa preferred forinof the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a-preferred'form of theinvention showing various partsthereof broken away in'order toclarify the-showing of particular'features;

Figure 43 is a side elevation of 1 a modified form of the invention;

Figure 4 is a" side elevation of astill further modied formof the invention;

Similar: reference characters represent similar parts in the several figures.`

As has' beenA stated,V the presentf invention'.l has been designed to give-simplicityy in` constructionF and ease'in moving the^-devicezfromplaceto place. The preferred formv of the invention; comprises basicallya base portion 8; ar turntable for" supporting recep-tacles or containers' 9,1 anda fruit or vegetable' receivingtray IU; all of-whichare mounted on a vertically extending`A standard or shaft l2. Thebasezis comprised generally of apluralityA oflhorizontal legs Il extendingoutwardly4 fromk av central location; each. of',- the legs beingv 90? apart mahorizontal plane: Connected tothe inner endsofthese legs Ilf is afvertically extendingstandardiorshaft l2'. The standard l2 isy heldin rigid relation withfrespectto the hori- ZlontalVv legs- I'l by means. of a` plurality ofr flanges willfbe noted 'that these flanges are inI the form ofright angle triangles, the base of each triangle extending from adjacent said standard to the outer end of said-legs and the altitude of said triangle adapted to extend vertically from said base along the surfaceof said standard. With this type of .construction the maximum strength is obtained with a minimum of material, thereby tending to cut down theweight of the base beyond the required amount for supporting the receptacle support and the fruit or-vegetable tray.

spaced vertically on the standard l2 from the upper portions of the flanges i3 a collar I4 is mounted. This collar may be integral with the standardlor ixedin some way relative thereto. Surrounding thel standard I2 and abutting the upper portion of the collar I4 is provided a hub |5',.the latter having a base flange portion |5a somewhat larger. in diameter than the mainportion of the hub. The hub l5 is adapted to be pivotally mounted with respect to the standard I2. The circular receptacle turntable 9 has a bottom I6 which is provided centrally thereof with `an aperture to receive the standard I2. The bottom Isis then Xedly secured to the base iiange portion IEa. on the hub I5 for rotational movement therewith. At the outer peripheral edge of the plate or shelf IG an upwardly extending ange I1 is furnished for the purpose of preventing the baskets or sacks into which the vegetables are to be placed from sliding off from the plate I E. As shown in Fig. 2 conventional baskets i8 have been shown, but of course, it will be seen that other'types of baskets or even sacks may be used to receive the fruit. spaced vertically from the receptacle plate I 6, and in somewhat the same horizontal plane as the upper portion of said baskets i8, the standard l2 is bent into an inclined position relative to the lower portion thereof forming a shaft portion I9. Spacedsomewhat above the lower end 4of the inclined shaft a second collar- 2U is provided in xed relation with the shaft. A second hub 2121s adapted to be rotatably mounted on' the shaft i9 andis seen to be pro*- vided-with an interior bearing portion 22' to receive the shaft. Hub 2l also includes a base flange 2ml which is similar to the base flange l 5a of'hub l5. Thefruit or vegetable receiving tray |81; as seen in Fig. 1, is circular andis provided with a bottom portion 23 andiianged side walls 24; As seen in Fig. lfthe bottom 231s provided with'four openingsillustratedby the numeral 25; Theseopenings are also circular and are spaced equifdistantfrom thecenter ofthe'tray andfrom theiianged wall'24. Further, the apertures are equally spacedfrom each other'so that their centers are approximately 90 apart radially from the center of the tray. Extending downwardly from the tray bottom 23 and adapted to be received within openings 25, sleeves 25 are provided for each opening. Each of these sleeves are secured to the periphery of the openings. The length of these sleeves is somewhat dependent on the size of the baskets to be used and the fruit and vegetables to be packed.

Telescopically received by each sleeve 26 is a second sleeve 21 which is adapted to be frictionally secured thereto. The sleeve 21 is somewhat longer than sleeve 26 and is adapted to extend downwardly into the basket when the latter is being filled. The length of this sleeve 21 is also dependent on the size of the basket, its width, and various other conditions which are apparent.

The operation of this preferred form of the invention is extremely simple, and may be described somewhat as follows: As is seen in Fig. 2 an endless conveyor system 28 is provided to carry the vegetables and fruit which are to be packed from a central storage and is adapted to place the material upon the lower portion of the receiving tray I0. When sleeve 21 is in its lowermost position it extends downwardly into the basket, the extent of which depends on the size of the basket and the length of the sleeves. As the endless conveyor continues to discharge the material into the tray the material builds up in the bottom of the tray and against the flanged walls 24 until the excess flows into the basket. lThe receptacle plate 9 and tray I0 are adapted to be rotated simultaneously so that when the lower portion of the basket I8 is filled with the material the interior of sleeves 2B and 21 will also become filled and as the tray and plate are rotated simultaneously the sleeve 21 will gradually rise from the basket.

As the sleeve begins to rise it will gradually discharge the material which is built up within the sleeves into the basket, thereby providing a completely full basket. Of course, as the tray Il) continues to revolve and the sleeve 21 gradually becomes further displaced from the basket, the material within the tray will tend to seek a lower lever and after the basket has been rotated to a position approximately 180 from its filling position it is quickly removed and an empty basket is substituted. Then the machine is ready for another cycle. It is to be understood, of course, that each basket is directly beneath its respective sleeve 21 and it is probable that the material will be stacked up in the tray to such an extent that each of the baskets will begin to be lled shortly before the sleeve 21 reaches its lowermost position within the basket and also continues to be filled somewhat after the sleeve has passed its lowermost position. However, by the time the sleeve is rotated 90 from its lowermost position it should have discharged all of its contents leaving the basket completely full. Any of the excess material in the tray by this time will have fallen back toward the lower portion of the tray and into an adjacent opening.

With this form of the invention a person can manually operate the turntable 9 and the tray In so that one of the baskets can be filled while the operator is removing an already iilled basket and replacing it with an empty one. Then the turntable and the tray may be rotated through 90 by the operator and another basket is filled. Of course, it is necessary to design the size of the tray and its openings in accordance with the size of the baskets to be used and the amount of material to be delivered by the conveyor 28.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Fig. 3 and is seen to comprise the same base 3 having the standard I2 extending upwardly therefrom. In this device the standard i2 is provided with an inclined portion 29 slightly above the upper portion of the flange I3. Positioned on the standard l2 and surrounding the inclined portion 29 is a circular cam track 3U'. As will be noted this cam track has a lowermost portion 3l and 180 therefrom has a slightly higher level illustrated by the numeral 32. Between these two levels the cam track is inclined upwardly to form a sort of arcuate surface 33. The complete cam track is mounted on the standard l2 by means of support members 34, it being understood that while only two are shown in Fig. 3, there may be provided any desired number to properly support the track. These supports extend from a point on the standard l2, slightly below the bent portion 29, outwardly and up wardly to the track 30. Spaced above the upper end of the standard l2 and surrounding shaft portion 29 is provided a hub 35 which is secured to shaft 29 in any convenient manner. A sleeve 3f), provided with a central bore 3l', is adapted to be slidably received on the shaft portion 29 and has at the lower end thereof a flange 38 and at the upper end thereof a flange 39. Flange 38 abuts collar 35 and is adapted to rotate relative thereto.

As will be seen in Fig. 3 a plurality of trays 40 are adapted to be pivotally mounted as at 4I to the outer periphery of the flange 38, each of the trays being spaced from the other. Trays 49 are trapezoidal in shape, having an outer edge 42 somewhat greater in length than the inner edge which is pivotally connected to the flange 38. The trays are provided with flanges around the periphery thereof, as illustrated by the numeral 43. These trays are adapted to receive the various receptacles such as baskets, or the like, into which vegetables are to be packed. Intermediate the ends of each tray a downwardly extending standard 44 is provided and has journaled in the lower portion thereof a roller 45 which is adapted to follow the surface of the cam track. The axis of roller 45 is always in radial alinement with the pivotal axis of the trays on the shaft portion 29. On the upper end of the sleeve 36 and secured to the flange 39 is a material receiving tray 4S. The tray has a frusto conical shaped bottom portion 49, the lowermost portion of which is adapted to rest on the ange 39 and to be fixedly secured with respect thereto. An upstanding fiange or rim 5D is positioned around the outer periphery 43. Between the bottom portion 49 and the outer peripheral edge 48 the portion 41 is provided with four equally spaced openings 5l. Depending downwardly from each of these openings is a sleeve 52 which is of substantially the same diameter as the openings.

It will be seen, therefore, from the above, that this modified form of the invention has four rotatable receptacle trays which are adapted to rotate with the fruit receiving tray 46. The operation of this form of the invention is as follows: A basket is placed on the tray 40 when it is at the level 32. As the fruit receiving tray 46 is rotated the basket and tray will rise up on the cam track to the level 33 and from this level 33 to the level 3| the basket will be in closely spaced relation with respect to the sleeve 32. Also the basket will remain in this close relation until the tray is rotated 90 from the level 3| and 180 from the level 33?: Therefore; asthe-'tray 46L ro-- tates. and thel tray 40 begins its descent from'y the track level 33'to thev track level 31, the material' within the. tray commences to fall into the waiting basket.

amount offillingtakes place; By the time the tray rotates another 90 the material ceases to fallinto the basket; since-it tends to seek a lowerv The basket is then ready forl removal to allow another basket to bel substituted; As

level."

will be seen the advantage of; having the cam track elevateto the position 3.3 is so that the basketk which is in the' tray 40 may'remain in close proximity to the sleeve` 52 in the last half` of thematerial flows and bythe time the tray hasrotated 90 fromits lowermost position complete stoppage-results. While the above modiiication has been described with-respectA to the use of baskets, it isalsoseen-that sacksor other containers maybe used'in lieu thereof, appropriate fastening meansbeingprovided with such use.

A further modied form of the invention, as seen in Fig. 4, also is comprised of a base portion 8, a standard extending upwardly therefrom having a lower portion I2 and an upper portion 29, the latter portion being inclined relative to the vertical portion I2. A sleeve 53 having an inner bore 54 is adapted to be rotatably received by the upper portion of the standard 29. It will be noted that a collar 55 is nxedly secured to the upper portion of the standard so as to limit the descent of the sleeve 53. Fixedly mounted to the lower end of sleeve 5.3 is a container support 55 having a bottom portion 5l and an outer peripheral flange 58, the bottom portion 5'! being adapted to rotate with sleeve 53 and abut collar 55. On the uper end of sleeve 53 a base flange 59 is iixedly mounted. A material receiving tray 60 having a bottom portion 6I is fixedly secured to the base flange 59 at its central point for rotation 'with the sleeve 53 and the container support 56. It will be noted that a peripheral flange or rim 52 is provided for the material-receiving tray and acts to prevent an overflow of material.

Tray 62 is also provided with openings similar to those shown in Fig. l for tray l0. Similarly a downwardly extending sleeve 63 is provided for each opening and is secured to the periphery of the opening. It is not believed that it is necessary to explain the mode of operation of this form of device except to point out that the baskets or sacks which are to be used as containers are adapted to rest on the support 55 beneath one of the sleeves 63 so that when the sleeve and basket are in their lowermost position the material will ow freely from the tray into the basket. By the time the sleeve and basket have rotated 90 from their lowermost position the flow of material will cease and the basket is then ready to remove for replacement with an empty.

It will be seen from the foregoing detailed description that I have provided an extremely sim- 5 ple device which is compact and meets the needs of the orchard and farming trade. The apparatus may be easily moved from one location to another.

While I have shown and described a preferred When: the' sleeve 52 and* the basket reach their lowermost'level the maximum formK of my-inventiong it will beaunderstoodthat variations in 'v details f of form may vbe made without departure from the invention as defined `r in the appended claims. It is= also to befunderstood that while the invention-has been shown and described as operable `by manual means, it -would b'e well-within the purview'of 'a person skilled'in the art toprovide appropriate power means for' drivingjtherotating'tray and turntable to carry` out; the conception of the invention.

Iclaim:

1. An apparatus ior'filling containers comprising abase member having an upwardly extending standard thereon, a circular cam track mounted on said` standard spaced above` said' sleeve, a plurality of openings in said materialv receiving trays in substantialvertical alignment.

with said'plurality of container trays, each opening and its vcooperating container tray being in substantialvertical alignment and'centeredin the same radial plane which extends from the axis of rotation.

2. An apparatus for filling containers comprising a base member having an upwardly extending standard thereon, the lower portion of said standard being vertical and the upper portion being inclined to the vertical, a circular cam track mounted on the lower portion of said standard spaced above said base, a sleeve rotatably mounted on an upper portion of said standard, a flange secured to the lower end of said sleeve and rotatable therewith, a plurality of radially extending container supporting trays pivotally connected to said iiange at their inner ends and supported at their outer ends by said cam track, a material receiving tray mounted on the upper end oi said sleeve, a plurality of openings in Said material receiving tray, there being a corresponding opening for each container supporting tray, said corresponding opening and supporting tray being centered in substantially the same radial plane extending from the axis of sleeve rotation, a second mentioned sleeve received by each of said openings and secured to the periphery thereof, said second mentioned sleeve and its corresponding container supporting tray being so arranged that during a predetermined period of rotation of said rst named sleeve, the second mentioned sleeve and its corresponding material receiving tray will be in a closely spaced relation for discharging material into containers positioned in their respective supporting trays.

3. An apparatus for filling containers comprising a base member having an upwardly extending standard thereon, a sleeve rotatably mounted on the upper portion of said standard, a flange on the lower end of said sleeve having a plurality of container supporting trays pivotally connected thereto at one of their ends, a cam track for supporting the other end of said container receiving trays, a material receiving tray mounted on the upper end of said sleeve for rotation therewith, the latter named tray having a plurality of openings therein substantially centered in the same vertical plane `as said container supporting trays, said cam track being so constructed and arranged that during a predetermined period of rotation of said sleeve, material is adapted to be discharged from said material receiving tray into a waiting container in position in its supporting tray.

4. An apparatus for lling containers, comprising a base member having an upwardly extending standard thereon, said standard having an upper portion which is inclined to a lower portion adjacentl said base, means rotatably mounted on said standard and pivotally mounted transversely thereof and spaced above said base for supporting a container, a material-receiving tray rotatably mounted on the upper portion of Said standard and spaced above said means, said tray having an opening therein, a sleeve connected to said tray and alined with said opening and extending downwardly from said tray, said sleeve and opening being so arranged as to be substantially centered in the same vertical plane as said container and in substantially vertical alinement therewith as the tray and containersupporting means are rotated in unison, and means for pivoting the rst mentioned means alternately toward and away from said tray during rotation thereof to effect alternate movement of a container toward and away from said tray.

5. An apparatus for iilling containers, comprising a base member having an upwardly extending standard thereon, a plurality of container-supporting trays rotatably mounted on said standard and pivotally mounted transversely thereof, a material-receiving tray rotatably mounted on said standard and spaced above said container-supporting trays, said material-receiving tray having a plurality of openings therein, each of which is substantially centered in the same vertical plane as one of said containersupporting trays, and means for pivoting said container supporting trays alternately toward and away from said material-receiving tray during rotation of said trays so as to effect alternate movement of containers toward and away from said material-receiving tray.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 721,850 Wright Mar. 3, 1903 1,881,106 Vaught et a1. Oct. 4, 1932 2,169,573 Voght Aug. 15, 1939 2,241,672 Minard May 13, 1941 2,270,709 Pittaluga Jan. 20, 1942 2,280,826 Hothersall Apr. 28, 1942 

